Uknighted
by BlazeMarko14
Summary: Order 66. One of the most deadly orders to ever be given. With such a simple order, the entire Jedi Order fell within hours. Ken Tarrak had been a great Jedi Padawan and was a day away from taking the trials, but the order was given before that. Now, he's on the run. He has to find whoever is left and do one thing: fight back.
1. Chapter 1: Hunted

**Hey everyone! Here's a story I'm particularly proud of! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Also, I have own none of the songs I'm using and they all belong to their respective bands and band labels and albums, etc. This goes for all the chapters in this story.**

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 **Chapter** **1: Hunted**

 ** _"I'_** ** _m cold and broken!" Fade Away_** ** _–_** ** _Breaking Benjamin_**

Ken woke up from his slumber, startled slightly by the noise of engines roaring. For only a moment, he felt distressed. Then, in another moment, he calmed himself. He was on a transport. The engines were just now heating up. He had fallen asleep from the extra wait he and the other passengers had to endure due to security checks underdone by the Republic.

He winced.

By the _Empire._

There was no Republic anymore. It had been a matter of weeks since he saw the Temple burn and those inside die. He had fought. He had fought his hardest, but the clones knew his tactics. They were soldiers bred for battle, bred for winning, bred for killing. Years he had fought by them and then, in an instant, it was thrown to the wayside for one order.

He knew that he should've followed Anakin or at least he should've tried more firmly to convince him to stay at the Temple. Yet, it seemed all he did was talk, because Anakin ignored him and left anyway. Then, later that night, Anakin came back and he brought clones with him. Ken could barely believe it when Skywalker raised his blade against him.

Ken sighed sadly when he recalled their fight right in front of the Temple entrance, clones and Jedi watching like spectators. In that instance, the fate of the entire galaxy was laid upon his shoulders and he didn't even know it. He was too sad, too shocked, too horrified to do anything but block Anakin's hateful strikes. No amount of words said did anything to phase the new Sith Lord.

In the end, he lost because of his own inability to fight a friend, a brother. Ken remembered when he pushed Anakin off of him and closed the entrance to the Temple and started to evacuate the large, sacred place. That didn't work. More clones, hundreds of them, stormed through the ceilings, ventilation shafts, and sewer passages. The Jedi were dead before they even knew what hit them. He saw friends die. He remembered seeing his childhood friend, Mhak, on the floor of his room. His eyes were wide open, but they were glossy. He was caught off guard. A black hole was prominent on his chest. His lightsaber laid away from him, just mere inches from his outstretched fingers.

Ken felt tears come to his eyes at that image.

He did the thing his friend would have wanted him to do. Taking his lightsaber, he placed it into his hands and over his chest and closed his eyes manually. Then he cried. He was there for a while, then he ran, trying to defend the Temple, but also getting away from Skywalker.

Others died. Great Jedi Knights were killed in an instant. Over a hundred lightsabers went on when the battle started, he never saw any left at the end.

The Temple was in flames. The Jedi Order was gone. He knew a few Jedi had escaped, like Bultar Swan and Master Ecoi. He didn't see a single youngling alive when he searched the Temple. They were all slaughtered by a lightsaber. By Anakin.

It was almost impossible to wrap his mind around it. Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, the Chosen One, his friend, his mentor, his brother in arms, was a Sith Lord. A Sith Lord he may have been, but he hadn't always been. It was on the steps of the Temple where he saw his eyes burn with hatred and rage. That was something Anakin never showed, or at least he had never seen. He knew that Anakin had a troubled past, the vision on Tatooine showed him that. Anakin had tasted the Dark Side, but hadn't every Jedi?

Master Kenobi tasted its vengeance against Darth Maul. A'shaard felt its hatred against Aurra Sing. Even Master Windu tasted its power every time he called upon the Vaapad technique. So, no one was faultless. Yet, Anakin's darkness was different. One moment it wasn't even there, but it appeared in a fiery storm, casting dark shadows wherever he went. Ken felt that darkness try to creep into his heart, but he didn't let it.

Ken adjusted his head, laying comfortably on his arm against the side port of the transport. He watched as clones with blue markings walked by, their blasters ready for anything. Security checks, or Jedi-checks as he had now known them to be, had already been conducted for his transport, so he was free for the moment.

A dark shadow was cast over his heart and he looked back outside, past the clones, and saw a lone figure draped in black start to walk over to his transport. His heart sunk as he saw the black boots sweep across the ground, at a slow pace. He couldn't see the figure's head, but he knew he didn't need to. The dark brown and black tunic said it all, but there was something off about the legs. They seemed very stiff and moved very mechanically.

It was Skywalker.

Thinking quickly, Ken stood up from his seat and, taking his bag with him, moved to the fresher in the back. He closed and locked the door behind him. He proceeded to open up his bag and take out his lightsaber. For a few seconds, he just held the weapon and reflected on how much it had been through and he silently apologized that it went through so much. He turned the weapon out, a blade of green energy came out in an instant, lighting up the small room. He was sure that the sound could be heard from outside so he moved quickly. He slung his bag onto his arm and stabbed the blade into the bottom of the floor and cut a neat circle in the flooring. He held the newly cut out piece above him and placed it down. He couldn't go now. He had to time it just right.

Seconds later, the door flew open and he dropped through the hall, deactivating his weapon on the way down. He hit the ground and went into a tumble, shielding himself from the considerable drop. He pushed off and got back to his feet, going into a full sprint. He wasn't wasting any time.

Ken cursed aloud when a bolt of blue energy exploded next to him on the runway. He paid no attention other than that and kept running, making a quick dash to the right when he saw more clones in front of him. There was a building, one that civilians used when they waited on their transports. A large glass windowpane stood between him and a reprieve from the soldiers.

Gritting his teeth, he threw himself through the glass, shattering a large section of the transparent material. He tumbled on the ground for a moment before getting back to his feet, ignoring the screams and shouts from the others around him. Some were screaming in horror and terror and others were shouting words like "Scum" and "Get him". He could feel his heart sink at their words. Palpatine had turned _everyone_ against the Jedi.

Ken dashed through the halls, using the Force to increase his speed and agility. He was almost jumping off the walls when Imperials started to open fire. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a civilian get hit by a wayward blast.

"No!" He shouted and stopped running. He ignited his emerald blade again and deflected the blue blaster bolts that raced at him. "I'm done running." He growled and leaped.

His blade was a blur as was he. He cleaved through the lead clone without as much as a flinch. When the rest of the group arrived, he quickly made short work of him. As the clones' numbers dwindled, he upped the attack. He deflected blast after blast back at the troops, felling them as quickly as they came. Soon, all that was left were smoking corpses.

He deactivated his blade, but quickly regretted letting his guard down as he was sent flying into a wall, his back slamming up against it first. He slumped to the ground and got back to his feet, switching on his blade once again. Slowly, he faced his attacker, finding it to be none other than the man he was trying to run away from.

Anakin Skywalker.

"Skywalker." Ken whispered, standing up fully, brandishing his blade warningly, "Don't come any closer."

"I don't want to hurt you, Ken." Anakin said softly, making no move to attack.

Ken didn't buy it, "Get away from me."

Anakin took a step forward, but stopped when Ken held his emerald blade mere inches from his neck, "I promise I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then why are you here?" Ken asked carefully.

"I'm here to ask you to come with me. I can't see you killed like the others. I know you weren't in on the Jedi plot to overthrow the Republic. That is why I come to you in peace. As a friend." Anakin said, compassion in his eyes.

"A friend?" Ken echoed, then frowned, "You are no friend of mine."

Anakin's gaze softened further, "I am your friend, Ken. I always have been. The Jedi were corrupt. They were the enemy the whole time and we had _no_ idea at all."

"The _Jedi_ are not the enemy, Anakin!" Ken shouted. "The _Sith_ are the enemy!"

Anakin frowned, "You didn't see what I saw. Windu tried to _assassinate_ the Chancellor after telling me that he was going to _arrest_ him."

"He was the Sith Lord, Anakin!" Ken's voice was disbelieving. "The Sith deserve to die! They live for destruction, not peace."

"And are the Jedi any different?" Anakin asked. "If Windu was willing to throw away the Jedi Code to bring peace, what kind of peace would that bring? The Jedi were corrupt and evil."

"Do you hear yourself?" Ken said, shutting his blade off, "You've let this Dark Lord twist your mind till you've become what I see in front of me! A monster!"

Anakin's rage was there in an instant, something clicking between his eyes. His blue eyes flashed to yellow and his metal hand was at Ken's throat, lifting him high into the air and up against the wall. All reason in which he had a moment ago was gone. He gripped Ken's throat in his palm, feeling the want to squeeze all the air out.

"You can't be reasoned with?" Anakin asked, his voice grave and dark. "I thought at least _you_ would see it my way. Obi Wan couldn't."

"O-O-Obi Wan!" Ken sputtered out, pain filling his senses as he gripped at the metal hand around his throat. Anakin reached forward and grabbed the lightsaber in his grasp. Ken could do nothing as Skywalker studied his weapon and ignited the emerald blade, "Do you still want to be a Jedi?"

Ken gave Anakin a look to kill, "I'll n-never join y-you." He answered the unspoken question.

Anakin squeezed harder and held the blade next to his neck, "I will give you one last chance. Do you still want to be a Jedi?"

Ken could feel his body start to numb from the lack of oxygen flowing to his brain. He could barely form a word on his lips. He knew he only needed one to stay alive. But, he was not willing to throw away everything he was so he could live and become a monster.

Using whatever strength he had left, he kicked his knee up into the air and against Skywalker's chest. This was the chance. Anakin reeled back slightly from the attack, his breath caught in his lungs. His grip loosened and Ken took full advantage of it. He pried Anakin's fingers open and he fell to the ground onto his feet. He could've run, but his lightsaber was still in Anakin's possession.

Thinking quickly, he took his bag off his shoulder and swung as hard as he could with it at Anakin's face. It clocked him upside the head, sending him to the side a bit. Using that moment, Ken grabbed his lightsaber and kicked the Sith Lord in the stomach, slung his bag back on and then jumped back as the young man ignited his lightsaber, a crimson blade shooting out into the air.

Ken held his blade up defensively, "I will _always_ be a Jedi."

"So be it." Anakin snarled, "Then you will _die_ like a Jedi."

"We'll see about that." Ken said, emotion creeping into his voice, "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Anakin's yellow eyes faltered for a half second, "You don't mean that."

"I do." Ken's voice cracked, "I could've saved the Jedi Order, the galaxy."

Anakin's yellow eyes blazed again, "And yet I watched them _burn._ The Jedi are _gone_!"

Taking advantage of this momentary lapse of anger, Ken struck, smashing his blade against the Sith Lord's red one, making sparks fly. He slashed away at the Sith, his strikes quick and strong. He twirled his blade around his front, deflecting a would-be death blow and then leaped backward, gaining distance. Anakin was up on him in an instant.

Switching his footing slightly, Ken was now on the defensive. He immediately dropped into Form III, Soresu, and defended himself against Anakin's merciless blows.

"I killed Cin Drallig easily." Anakin sneered as he crossed blades overhead with the young Jedi. "What hope do you have?"

Ken didn't respond and kicked his leg out, catching him by the stomach. Anakin barely flinched and continued to strike. Anakin had age and experience over Ken and he knew the battle wouldn't last long if it dragged on for too long. And Anakin had no weak spots to exploit.

Ken parried a slash by the Sith and leaped overhead, barely dodging an rising strike. Finding his back wide open, Anakin leaped forward to dodge a slash by a green saber, but found himself right against a wall. Ken saw his opening and stabbed his blade forward, trying to impale Skywalker.

Anakin, though caught off guard, saw through the attack and rolled off the wall to the side just as the blade was right behind him. The lightsaber burned through the wall in a neat stab, but it would take a second, maybe half a second more than that, to retract it. That was time Ken didn't have to waste.

Anakin swung his red blade up in a perfect arc, trying to dismember Ken's arm from his body. Ken leaped back, away from Anakin and his lightsaber. He flung his hand out and the green blade flew into his hand with a slap of metal on hand, just as Anakin leaped into the air and brought his blade down on him. The clash was rough and almost brought Ken to his knees, but he stayed upright and pushed back, detaching his saber and swinging at Anakin's feet.

Anakin deflected the strike with ease and brought his blade through the air towards the side, but it was parried easily.

"I will _never_ join the Sith." Ken said to Skywalker, "You've failed, Anakin."

Anakin almost shook with rage and held his flesh hand up in the air, his fingers spread forward. "Then you will _die_!" Blue lightning streamed from his fingers.

Ken brought his green blade up and caught the streams of lightning. Tightening his hold on his saber, Ken pushed the torrent of energy backwards, redirecting it to its master. Anakin merely jumped over the strike and fired a small burst of energy mixed with lightning, creating a ball of Force lightning.

This was something Ken couldn't defend himself from and it slammed into him, throwing him through the hall, flinging him about as it pleased. He soon came to a halt, smoke rising from his body. He reignited his green weapon and got to his feet, struggling to even stand. He was sure that something, more than likely a lot of things, were broken.

Anakin stalked out of the smoke and held his blade overhead, "Goodbye, Tarrak."

Ken closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow, thoughts flooding his head. _I failed the Order…I'm sorry…Mhak…my friends…_

 _"_ _Ken! Fight back!"_

A voice passed through his ears. It was Mhak.

Time seemed to slow for him at that point. He searched his mind and his heart and found that he couldn't give up. Mhak wouldn't want that. Jedi didn't give up. _He_ wouldn't give up.

As the crimson blade came within inches from cleaving him in two, he made his move. As if moving by instinct and emotion alone, his body moved in ways never before seen. He reached one hand up and grabbed the arm of his attacker, then used his momentum of the swing and followed through with it, only this time using his body as a catapult, shooting through Skywalker's legs at incredible speeds.

Then, as he cleared the battleground, he threw his hand backwards, the Force flying through him. His Force-push slammed into Anakin's back, flinging him into a wall, making a little imprint in it, cracking the painted walls. Ken deactivated his lightsaber and threw himself through another window. He looked up and saw a transport taking off.

He ran at it as it lifted into the air. Using the Force, he propelled himself upwards, wind screaming in his ears as well as the Force yelling a warning. In mid-air, he turned his body, seeing a flash of red coming at him. He reached for his lightsaber and swung the blade up as it activated, deflecting the incoming projectile. He realized it as Anakin's blade. He looked down and saw the young Sith Lord staring up at him, yellow fire burning in his eyes.

All he saw was hatred.

Anakin Skywalker was no more.

That was Darth Vader.

Ken landed neatly on the wing of the transport and he made his way across to the access hatch where the luggage was stored and cast one last, lingering look at Anakin – no, he reminded himself, Vader – before he jumped in.

His last thoughts before he collapsed from exhaustion were: _Oh Anakin, why did you have to fall?_

Unconsciously, a tear slipped from his eye.

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 **All I can say is I hope you enjoyed! Haha leave a REVIEW if you'd like! They really do help haha!**

 **"Until we meet again!" - Blaze Marko**


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions

**The bar has been raised for the young Jedi as his run finally starts. Where will his shuttle lead to?**

 **Find out: now!**

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 **Chapter** **2: Decisions**

 ** _"_** ** _Say something new! I have nothing left!" Without You_** ** _–_** ** _Breaking Benjamin_**

Ken woke up some time later, though this time he was met with unforgiving darkness. He quickly ignited his lightsaber and waved the green blade around, illuminating the room. Once he saw he was safe in the baggage deck, he quickly calmed his raging heart. He plucked a small hand light out of his bag and turned it on, then flipped his saber off. He placed the weapon back in his bag and sat there in the darkness.

Hours went by and he sat there, his eyes closed and his heart calm. In spite of everything, he felt at peace. The Force swelled around him gently, coating him in a cold, soothing embrace. Something all too familiar to him. Regardless, he let the Force take shape around him and he let go of it all. He let go of this sadness, his hurt, his loss for an instant.

Then, the instant was gone, but the peace stayed.

Soon, the transport stopped moving and the baggage deck opened up and he took to the shadows in the corner, becoming all but nothing in the darkness. When the men and women had all gotten their bags, he hopped off and headed for the nearest, access port. From there he went through the normal security checks, but avoided the detectors mounted along the walls.

The clones were very thorough in their checks. Problems arose in space stations all over the galaxy because the clones did their jobs well. They thwarted terrorists, attackers, assassins, bounty hunters, and suicide bombers. During the Clone War, this saved the lives of millions of beings, but now it was to instill fear in civilian hearts and to find lost Jedi.

Ken silently hoped that he could bypass the round check at the front entrance.

He continued through the station, moving smoothly and calmly by the people around him. The crowds were eager to get out of the station, one way or another. Some headed to access ports for transports and others were finding whatever exit they could. Imperials passed by him a few seconds later, not even turning their head to him. They shouldn't have. He wasn't wearing anything that would give him away.

Anakin only found him because of the Force.

He shook his head slightly, banishing those thoughts and continuing onward.

As he made it to the front entrance of the spaceport, he realized that the detectors were deactivated. In fact, they looked like they had been tampered with. People had already taken notice of this and were casually walking out, no thoughts of consequences. Ken proceeded carefully, taking each step as if it were a piece in a very intricate puzzle.

As meticulously as he could be without arousing suspicion, he moved past the detectors, always keeping his senses alert. Once past, he made his way through the crowd in front of him and walked outside. He looked around, confused. During his fight, he leaped on the nearest transport, but he didn't know where to.

Once he was outside, he realized where he was.

Tatooine.

The sand that covered everything and the same sand and clay that made the houses were a dead giveaway. Merchants had their small shops posted around everywhere and people of all species roamed around. To his right, a human male was selling his speeder to an Ithorian, and to his left some children were running around, their clothes somewhat sandy and ragged.

Ken fixed his bag and took a step forward into the street, covering his eyes from the rays of the two suns. The heat was blistering, but he had endured worse with his master.

His steps halted.

"Master Secura…" He whispered into the wind. No one heard him.

That was the second time he had thought about his master. The first was when Anakin brought up Order 66 at the Temple. Sadness flooded his emotions, trying to drown him. Of all the things that saddened him, this was one of the most heartbreaking. His knees wobbled slightly as he tried to control himself.

She was on Felucia with Commander Bly when the order went out. Of all the clones that Ken had ever worked with, there were only three that he trusted: Bly, Cody, and Rex. Yet, clones were clones. The order was in all of their heads. Everything that happened with Tup and with Fives made sense in that moment. The chip in the clones' heads was to ensure the destruction of the Jedi when the war was at its peak. The inhibitor chips were to suppress the order and to make sure that when the time came, the order could be easily triggered and there would be no argument, no rebellion, and no choice.

It was all a trap from the beginning.

He only hoped that those clones, those he trusted, were able to override their programing and do what was right. He hoped that his master was alive.

Tears sprung to his eyes when her face, filled with a proud smile, flashed before his eyes.

He woke from his thoughts when he heard a speeder behind him. He quickly made his way to the side of the road and walked on. Her words repeated in his mind.

 _"_ _I'll be gone a few days, three at the most. Don't worry, Ken."_

Then she hugged him, something they had gotten used to. Even though she was his master, he was more of a sisterly figure to him. He couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt. He had risked his life and nearly given it for her on more than one occasion, but she had done the exact same thing for him.

The memory flashed in his mind when she left.

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 _Her starfighter had just activated and her new R2 unit beeped and swiveled its dome in anticipation for the mission. Aayla smiled and laughed, "Give me a moment, Sparks. Let me say goodbye to my Padawan."_

 _Ken smirked at her, "When you get back I'll take the Trials, Master. Then I'll be a Knight."_

 _Aayla smiled proud, "And I'll be there to watch you pass with flying colors."_

 _"_ _Oh, I was sure you would make a joke about me failing." Ken laughed, "Like on Stigion Prime."_

 _"_ _I was making a joke about your negotiation skills, not about how you'd fail the task." Aayla corrected, her smile wide, "There is a difference."_

 _"_ _A difference?" Ken chuckled, leaning against the metal wall of the hanger bay, "You always say that."_

 _Aayla smiled, "Indeed I do. I guess with you as my Padawan I needed to prove my point more often."_

 _"_ _Or maybe I'm more of a challenge for you regarding arguments then Master Koth is." Ken smiled. He wanted to talk as long as he could with his master. She'd be gone for a while and he wanted to get quality time in. He didn't care if it was attachment. Aayla was more than his master. She was like his older sister._

 _Aayla felt a small amount of sadness pass between their Force bond and she raised an eyebrow, "Anything wrong, Ken?"_

 _Ken's eyes met hers and he shrugged, "Guess I'm just gonna miss you, Master."_

 _"_ _No one's around, Ken." She smiled softly, "You don't need to call me Master."_

 _Ken returned the soft smile, "Ok, Aayla."_

 _Aayla's heart softened and her smile widened, "Good boy." Then she leaned against the wall too, "Plus, I'll only be gone a few days, three at the most. Don't worry, Ken."_

 _"_ _I'm not worried." He said, "I just feel like I should be with you on the front lines, having your back. That's what I'm supposed to do."_

 _Aayla mulled this in her mind for a moment, "That's true, but as your master I have to make sure that you are balanced. We have been on the frontlines for over a month, you need to stay here and study and relax for a few days."_

 _"_ _You've fought just as much as I have." Ken argued, "You should be here too, Aayla."_

 _Aayla crossed her arms and adjusted her leaning on the wall, "This is my last mission. Once I'm back I'll take my break. I'm giving you a chance to relax, Ken."_

 _"_ _And I'm saying that I can relax when you do. I don't like you going out on this mission without me. Felucia's been a target for the Separatists for a long time, since early in the war. I know that our Intelligence says that its nothing more than one ground assault, but I should still come." He argued, getting off the wall._

 _Aayla looked at her apprentice and sighed, "I will be fine."_

 _"_ _And if something happens to you?" Ken said, "What could I do from here? Nothing."_

 _"_ _You need to trust that I will be ok." Aayla said softly, walking over to him so she was directly in front of him. His head was down and looked up at him slightly, as he was a little taller. "Ken."_

 _He looked at her, "Yes, Aayla?"_

 _She wrapped her arms around the young Jedi and enveloped him in a hug. No one in the hangar saw them, but they were there. Ken wrapped his arms around his master carefully and felt her calming waves in the Force. His anxieties started to roll away slowly. He took a deep breath._

 _"_ _I'll be back." She said softly, holding him tighter._

 _"_ _Ok." He relented as she pulled away from the hug._

 _"_ _When I get I'll give you a rematch at that Sabaacc game you lost." She smiled and started to walk to her starfighter._

 _Ken smiled and walked with her, "You won barely, if I remember correctly."_

 _"_ _Winning barely is still winning." She said, getting on top of her fighter and opening the cockpit._

 _"_ _Aayla." He called out._

 _She turned to him with a smile, "Hm?"_

 _"_ _May the Force be with you." Ken said, bowing with respect._

 _Aayla did the same, "And with you, Ken."_

 _She got into her pilot seat and took off into the skies, Ken watching her go the entire time…_

* * *

"I shouldn't have let you go." Ken whispered quietly, tears in his eyes. He didn't wipe them away. He let them fall. "I knew I should've gone with you."

But, in his mind, he knew there was nothing he could've done. This was the plan of the Sith the whole time. The plan was to get the war to a peak, to get the Jedi spread across the galaxy, cut off from each other, and then execute the order. But, the Sith Lord still knew that he needed a new apprentice after Dooku's death. And Anakin was the perfect candidate.

Ken continued on slowly.

He reached the end of the street and looked around the corner. After seeing it as sparsely populated, he walked down it. He continued down the street till he found a small sign for a bar. He walked forward and read the sign.

"Only down the street." He whispered to himself and adjusted his bag, putting his hood on too.

He quickly made his way to the bar and sighed when he found a seat at the bar. He tapped the counter twice and the bartender came over, ready to ask what his drink was.

Ken was quick to answer, "Nothing. Just sitting."

The bartender gave him a glare and a frown but said nothing, moving away and going to another customer. Ken shrugged off the rudeness and leaned on his elbows, not looking up. He stared straight at the counter.

Suddenly, he felt the Force shift and his senses alerted him to a problem.

Casually, he sat back up and cast a glance around the room, finding nothing. The shift grew stronger and he looked behind him, seeing a brown hooded figure sitting at a round table in the corner of the room, one of the booth tables. He felt something strange about the person, but he turned back around.

 _"_ _Come here, Ken."_

He heard the voice in his mind call and he knew it was the man behind him, but he knew the voice and his heart jumped for joy.

He gently stood up and walked over to the table where the hooded man was sitting, sipping a small drink. He took a seat, but kept his hood on.

"Obi Wan?" Ken asked quietly, but hopefully.

The hooded man turned his head and his face showed. It was Obi Wan Kenobi. "Hello there, Ken."

"It is you!" Ken whispered happily, "I thought you were dead."

"Far from dead, young one." Obi Wan said softly. "How much do you know of what happened?"

"A lot, Obi Wan." Ken said, sadness clearly pronounced, "The Order, the Republic, the peace. They are gone."

Obi Wan nodded and then proceeded carefully, "And Anakin?"

"He turned." Ken said, his emotions rising, "He turned on us." Realization hit him like a blast to the face, "You fought him. That's why his legs were mechanical."

Obi Wan, though shocked, nodded, "On Mustafar I confronted him. We fought." His voice cracked but barely, "Our fight raged on throughout the facilities there and it ended with me on a bank and he on a construction platform. I warned him not to jump, not to fight anymore, but he did and I…I defended myself." He finished.

Ken was confused, "But, Obi Wan, you were on a bank, surely he would have fallen into the lava or at least close to it."

Obi Wan put his drink down, "I couldn't watch my brother burn." He said softly, "When his clothes started to catch fire, I doused the flames out with the Force. I pulled him up and laid him on the bank and rendered him unconscious and took his lightsaber."

The Force whispered in Ken's ear.

Ken stared at Obi Wan with wide eyes, "Senator Amidala was there."

"Your insight serves you well, Ken." Kenobi said, taking another sip of his drink then put it back down, "She was there. Anakin attacked her."

"She was pregnant." Ken said, putting the pieces together, "He thought she brought you. You snuck aboard."

Obi Wan nodded, "I did. It was the only way to find Anakin. He saw me. He lost control."

"And Padme suffered his wrath." Ken said, putting the final piece together, "Even though the children in her were his."

"Children?" Obi Wan echoed, shocked, "How could you possibly know that?"

"I don't know how I know." Ken leaned back in the booth and sighed, "Where is she now?"

"She's dead." Obi Wan said sadly.

Ken shot back up, "Dead?!"

"She lost the will to live." The Jedi Master sighed, "Physically she was fine. But, Anakin crushed her heart. Not even her children were enough for her to stay with us."

"Padme…" Ken whispered and leaned his head against the table, "How many more have to die before Palpatine is satisfied?"

"He will not stop till the Jedi and everybody that supports us are dead." Obi Wan said, interlocking his hands on the table.

Ken raised his head and stared at his friend, "What are we going to do?"

"The children are alive." Kenobi said, "I am here to watch over the boy, Luke."

"And the other?" Ken asked.

Obi Wan shifted his seating, "The daughter, Leia, is on Alderaan with Senator Organa. He is highly respected and can take care of her. She'll grow up in complete secrecy to Palpatine. And neither Anakin nor Palpatine will come to Tatooine to search for me or the boy."

"And me?" The young Jedi asked.

Obi Wan stared Ken in the eyes, "Your destiny is now your own, Ken. There is no Order, but you are still a Jedi. I must stay here and protect the boy. He is one of the last hopes for the galaxy. You may stay here on Tatooine with me if you wish. You are my friend, Ken, and I will protect you just as I will Luke."

"Obi Wan." Emotion took hold of Ken and he smiled, "Thank you. But, I must find my master."

"Aayla." Obi Wan whispered, then sighed, "I do not feel her in the Force."

"And neither do I." Ken admitted, "But, she could just be too weak to show anyone she's alive or she's hiding from the Empire."

"I don't want you getting your hopes up, Ken." Obi Wan said reasonably, making sure not to overstep his bounds, "There was a full battalion of clones with her when she left."

"Bly wouldn't have killed her." Ken argued, his voice firm but quiet.

Obi Wan's face scrunched up with slight disgust, "And I didn't think Cody would ever fire on me. I was _wrong._ "

"Cody turned on you?" Ken asked, horrified. His hopes of Bly being an ally dropped to near nothing in his mind, taking his hopes for Aayla with it, "And Rex?"

"I haven't heard from him. I can only expect that he fell victim to the same order Cody was given." Obi Wan murmured, "Which means Bly has more than likely turned on Aayla."

"She's _alive,_ Obi Wan." Ken said, putting his pack down. "I know she is."

"Ken." Obi Wan started.

"She _promised_ me, Obi Wan." Tears glistened in the young eighteen year-old's eyes. "She said she'd come back."

Obi Wan was silent for a moment, then he spoke, "You think you could track her down?"

Ken nodded vigorously, "I do, Obi Wan. I will find her and come back to show you."

Obi Wan was quick to answer, "No. If you find her you must stay away. You cannot come back with Jedi that have survived. It would become problematic for them as well as for Anakin's son. You must stay away, Ken. My offer for you to stay with me _now_ still stands, but you can't bring more Jedi here. If you leave, you will be on your own. You may visit the planet _alone_ , but it must be in intervals. Do not make regular visits. Do you understand, young one?"

"Yes, Obi Wan." He said solemnly and then held his hand out, "I guess this is goodbye for now."

Obi Wan stared at the hand for a moment before giving him a firm shake, "Goodbye, my friend. May the Force be with you."

Ken felt his heart jump at those simple words and hope filled his soul. For the first time in a long time, he felt peace, "And with you, Obi Wan."

Ken stood up, cast one last glance at the Jedi Master and then left the bar.

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He walked out and back to the spaceport, but this time he went near where freighters and space pilot's landed. After searching a while, he found several docking bays that housed large freighters. He passed the ones that were labeled as cruise transports and the ones that were commercially known. Instead, he made his way to the spice freighters and cargo transports.

Taking account of the ships, he deduced that at least half of them were bounty hunters in disguise, another fourth of them weren't in the best traveling conditions, and a third of them were being searched by the Imperials at the moment.

That only left one ship.

A HWK-290 Light Freighter.

Ken walked through the large, sand and clay archway that led to the main bay with a large opening overhead. He stood just in front of the ship before he heard the sound of a gun load right behind him. It didn't sound like a clone trooper's blaster. Those were DC-15s type pistols. This one sounded different and strange. It could've been hand-made.

"Name." The voice was feminine.

Ken made no move to turn around, "You first." He said cautiously.

"Says the man with a blaster to his back." The woman behind him said with a sarcastic laugh. She dug the gun into his back, "Name. Now."

Ken grit his teeth but released his growing irritation, "My name is Ken."

"Not so hard was it, Hotshot." The woman laughed again, less sarcastic, but obviously not lighthearted and took the gun away. "What's your business around my ship?"

"I came here to ask if I could seek transportation." Ken said simply, still facing the ship.

"Transportation?" The woman laughed, "From a ship in these hangars?"

"Well, I would have chosen another ship, but I would be met with Imperial 'hospitality', and that's something I want to avoid." Ken said carefully, silently admiring the ship.

There was a silence for a moment and then he was turned around forcibly.

The woman in front of him could no older than him, but she wasn't very discrete about her body. She wore a white tank top that stopped an inch above her navel. She wore a black flight jacket over it, same length, with red markings on the chest and on the shoulders. Long brown hair cascaded down her front and ended next to her sides. Skin tight black pants with red lines down the sides of the thighs covered her bottom half. The pants led into combat boots and a sidearm on her lower calf. She had a DL-44 blaster pistol on her hip, which she was leaning on slightly.

Ken swallowed hard.

"Avoiding the new Empire?" The woman looked him up and down and he felt a sense of embarrassment but he held it back. "Why?"

"An altercation on Dantooine caused me to become somewhat of an outlaw. I guess you call me that." Ken decided, then gave a small smile and held his hand out, "So, officially, I'm Ken."

The woman stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it, no emotion on her face, "Acia Beilane."

Ken looked back at the ship, "So, can I pay you to give me transport?"

"To where exactly?" The woman, now known as Acia, asked.

Ken sighed slightly, "Felucia."

"Felucia?!" Acia laughed, "That's deep in Imperial controlled space."

"I'll give you five thousand now and another five when we get there." Ken offered firmly.

Acia squinted her eyes at him and walked closer, looking him up and down again while circling him, "Ten thousand?" She asked.

Ken nodded and reached into his small bag and pulled out credit chips, "Ten thousand."

Acia took a step forward once she made full circle and inspected the chips, then nodded, "All for one trip?"

Ken didn't dare quirk a smile, but he wanted to, "I could find someone else to give me transportation."

Acia's eyes hardened, "Don't try that on me, Hotshot." She clicked a button on her wrist and the ramp to the ship pulled out, "In."

Ken nodded solemnly and handed her half the chips, "There." Then he turned around and walked in, the pilot following closely behind.

* * *

 **Getting mixed up with a smuggler is never a good idea, but I guess he'll have to find that out for himself. On the next chapter. Chapter 3: Detour.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! REVIEW please!**

 **"Until we meet again!" - Blaze Marko**


	3. Chapter 3: Detour

**Ken has taken a chance with a smuggler to get him off-world, but he is still a fugitive. And with being a fugitive comes a bad rap. Find what happens now! Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter** **3: Detour**

 ** _"_** ** _Your hope is gone and so is mine!" Crawl_** ** _–_** ** _Breaking Benjamin_**

Soon, after the engines and afterburners were fired up, the freighter shot up into the skies, away from the dust ball of a planet. The ride out of the stratosphere was relatively quiet. The only sounds came from the roar of the engines and the blast of fire that burst around the canopy.

Once out, Ken looked around the cabins of the ship, finding all the quarters in order according to sizes. The ones nearest to the cockpit were slightly larger than those nearer to the cargo bay and loading ramp. The ones near the cockpit were most likely for captain and first mate. The others were for passengers.

He had to admit though, the ship was in very nice condition for a space freighter.

He reached for his shoulder and found his pack to be missing. He looked around for a moment before he saw it in Acia's hands. He cautiously spoke, "May I have that back?"

"What's in it?" She asked, shaking it like a child.

Ken felt his heart sink when he heard his lightsaber rattle inside, metal hitting against the remaining credits. He took a step forward and held his hand out, "Just some belongings."

"Like?" Acia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A few clothes, some credits, and…a blaster." He said, trying to cover his secret up. He couldn't let her find out anything beyond where he was going.

Acia shrugged, not interested and threw the pack at him. He caught it with one hand and slung it onto his shoulder, "Thank you."

Acia shrugged again, "I don't have any interests in your blaster."

"I would hope not. I do need it." He said and started to walk back to the far cabins.

"Hold up, Hotshot." Acia said sternly, making the Jedi stop in his tracks.

He turned back to her, "Yes?"

"Why are we going to Felucia?" She asked seriously, "For ten thousand credits you must want to get there very badly."

Ken sighed and released his emotions into the Force and gave her a stoic face, "I'm looking for a friend."

"A friend? This deep in Imp space?" Acia sounded skeptical, "Please tell me we aren't going after a criminal."

"A criminal?" His voice rose, "She is _not_ a criminal."

Once the words left his lips, he regretted speaking. He wanted this to be a transport he paid for and then he'd be off. He didn't want to expel anything about his past, but he just did.

"A woman?" The pilot quirked a smirk. "Lovers?"

Ken felt something rise in his throat and he became sick at that assumption. He choked out, "Never."

"Family?" Acia asked, a little softer.

Ken nodded, "She's like my sister. I need to find her and this was the last place she was seen."

"Her name?" Acia pressed on.

Irritation formed in the back of Ken's mind, "None of your concern."

Acia frowned, "Fine, Hotshot." She checked her wrist pad and turned back to him, "We'll come out of hyperspace right above Felucia in a few hours."

"Good." Ken took a step back but a massive surge of pain flared throughout his entire body and he fell to the ground. His body twitched and ached, his bones feeling like they were breaking in every place possible and he cried out in pain.

Acia, for a moment, stared at him, then rushed to him and helped him into one of the passenger chairs. She looked hard at him, "What the hell?"

Ken grimaced and felt more pain flare up and he choked out, "I may have been injured."

Acia frowned, "Well, I don't have much more than a first aid kit in the back."

"Do you have a bacta patch?" Ken asked hopefully, "Even a small one will do wonders."

Acia stood up, "Possibly." She made her way into the back of the ship and Ken breathed out deeply. He had to be _very_ careful now, especially if she asked how the wounds were inflicted.

A minute later, the female pilot came back with a small blue patch in her hand. She handed it to the injured man, "Here."

Ken nodded his thanks and slowly slid off his tunic, not caring if he was shirtless. He slowly applied the bacta patch on a huge bruise on his ribs, ignoring the other scratches and gashes all around. They weren't bleeding at the moment so it was ok to him. Acia gave him a glance of question, but it disappeared in a moment.

He slipped his tunic back on and then stood up slowly, "I'm going to sleep. Please wake me when we arrive."

"Only if you tell me how you got those injuries." Acia challenged.

"I'd rather not tell you." Ken said truthfully, not facing her, "It's not something I want to explain."

"Then shorten it." She crossed her arms.

Ken shook his head and turned slightly so only a part of his head was facing her. He frowned, his eyes sharpening, "No."

Acia was taken aback by the force he put into just words. She stayed silent for a few seconds before cautiously nodding, "Fine. Go."

Ken didn't say another word and retreated to his quarters. When he was there, he crawled into the nearest bunk and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Ken woke up gently, his sleep undisturbed by even the pilot. That would mean that they hadn't gotten to Felucia yet. He slowly got up from his bunk and slung his pack back onto his right shoulder and walked out of the room. He took into account how he couldn't feel much in the Force.

That was strange.

He reached out, but this time felt something dark. It was a presence he hadn't felt before, but it reeked of the Dark Side. He moved cautiously to the cockpit, but the pilot wasn't there. He looked around for the female, but he found nothing. He didn't even feel her on board.

"Acia?" He called out.

"She's not here." He heard a voice behind him.

He turned around. A tall man, about six feet stood behind him. He was decked out in all black garb and had midnight black hair and brown eyes. He had both hands behind him, as if being polite, but Ken knew something was up.

"Where is she?" Ken asked, his eyes narrowing.

"She has been…detained." The man said, his demeanor very professional.

"For what?" Ken asked. _Though, I have an idea._

The man's eyes turned yellow and his face turned into a scowl. One of his hands came out from behind him and a lightsaber appeared in his hand and the crimson blade shot out, "She's harboring a Jedi!"

Then it hit him.

 _We made it to Felucia. We've been captured!_

Ken reached into his pack and pulled out his lightsaber and switched on the emerald colored blade. He held it in front of him protectively, "Down, Sith."

"Sith?" The man chuckled, "No. Not Sith. We are called the Inquisitors. I am Carson Jax."

"Inquisitors?" Ken echoed, horrified, "Palpatine has an army of Dark Side users?"

"Not an army. But, it's more than enough to deal with the last of the Jedi." He spat then lunged.

Ken fell into a defensive stance and blocked the stab and parried it away. He twirled with the block and ended up behind the Inquisitor. He brought his blade to the side in a perfect arc, but Jax blocked the strike with ease. Using the momentum of his strike, Ken ducked under Jax's next swing and then kicked his leg out, kicking the Dark Side user to the durasteel flooring.

Jax was up in a moment and leaped at him, his blade poised for the heart. Ken step sided the attack and brought his blade up quickly, batting the red blade across the room where it deactivated by the loading ramp. Jax threw his hand forward, using the Force to shove Ken into the control panel.

Dazed, Ken laid across the controls before he got back up and saw Jax retrieving his weapon. Thinking fast, the young Jedi opened up the ramp with the Force and then leaped at Jax just as he picked up his weapon. Ken's foot smashed against the Inquisitor's face and sent him tumbling down the ramp. Jax flew across the ground, his weapon flying into Ken's hand and reigniting the crimson blade.

"Where is Acia?" He asked again.

Jax laughed, "You like the power don't you?"

"Not what I asked." Ken said shortly.

Jax felt sweat drip down his head as the blades almost touched his skin. He frowned, "She was taken to an Imperial outpost a click away."

"Take me there." Ken said, pulling the blades back slightly.

Jax smirked, "Stupid Jedi." He leaped forward, knocking both weapons out of Ken's hands. He then wasted no time in retrieving his weapon.

Ken pulled his own weapon to him with the Force and flipped on the weapon, "Surrender, Jax."

"Surrendering is for the weak." He said firmly and dashed at the Jedi.

Ken deflected strike after strike from the Inquisitor. He had to admit, his skills with a lightsaber were more advanced than he had seen in a while, since Ventress in fact. Ken blocked a strike to his head and locked blades.

Over the cross of their blades, Jax laughed, "Do you think you can save her?"

Both Aayla's face and Acia's face passed in front of his eyes.

Ken shook his head gently and then looked Jax in the eyes, "I do!" He shoved of the attack then struck, using quick and hard strikes to end the fight quickly.

Using all his teachings from his master, Ken cut through the Dark Side user's defenses. Suddenly, Jax broke off his attack and pushed him back, but then leapt into the air and brought his blade down. Now there was only one way for Ken to get out of the scuffle unhurt.

Taking his lightsaber into both his hands, he leaped into the air and met the Inquisitor head on, slashing his blade at his abdomen. The block came a fraction of a second too late and the green blade sliced right through his stomach. Jax coughed once and then fell to the ground, two pieces landing in different places.

Ken's blade retracted and he looked at the body, frowning.

Then the upper half started to move and Ken looked down, horrified. _How is he alive!? The Dark Side…_

Jax turned his body around, blood coming out of his mouth and his eyes. He growled then spit up blood, "You'll…never…save her…" Then he slumped down, his eyes blank.

He was dead.

Ken stared at the corpse in shock and fear, "He…" He swallowed and shook his head and turned to the trail in front of the ship. "That way." He didn't take a step and then sighed, "He said it was a base. There's no way I can take it by myself."

He kicked the ground, "Damn it! I can't just let her stay there!" he looked back at the ship and a dark thought passed in his mind.

 _Leave her._

He shook his head, "That isn't what Aayla would tell me to do."

He took a deep breath and looked back at the dead Inquisitor. He saw his lightsaber laying a few inches away from his outstretched hand. Ken took another deep breath and calmed himself, then he pulled the weapon to him with the Force and ignited the blade. He waved it around a few times, getting the feel of it.

"Maybe with two I can be faster." Ken said to himself aloud, then ignited his own blade. He twirled them both for a moment and then deactivated both weapons. He clipped them to his belt and then he turned to Jax's dead body.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Jax." He said sadly, "Maybe in the next life you'll find peace."

Ken turned around and set off on the path.

It seemed like he was traveling for hours, but finally he came upon a small dome that led underground. He saw several guards around the entry point and he readied his weapons. Stealthily, he made his way over to the side, among the fungi and plants. Once he was next to the nearest guard, he struck.

He was like a blur, using the Force to increase his speed, as he sliced through the first trooper with ease. The crimson color of the saber he was wielded meant nothing to him as he killed the remaining guards. He moved their bodies into the fungi surrounding him then leaped on top of the dome.

He stabbed both blades into the steel and made a perfect circle, falling right onto a squad of clones. The metal circle he cut out fell and crushed three of them, but four still remained, including the sergeant of the squad. Holding his blades tight, he swung the blades completely around, decapitating the three troops, leaving just the sergeant.

The clone sergeant held up his blaster and fired off a few shots, but each were bounced around the room by two beams of energy. Finally, Ken threw the clone to the side with the Force and held him up in the air, "Where is the pilot?"

The clone tried to struggle against his hold but he stayed silent.

Ken waved one hand in front of his face, "You will tell me where the pilot is."

The clone's struggle stopped and he spoke, "She's in the detention area."

"Where?" Ken asked, "What cell?"

"Cell block 113-A." The clone responded.

Ken nodded, "Thanks." Then he put the clone to sleep with a Force wave.

He turned to the back halls and dashed down them, being as stealthy as he could be. He encountered a few more clones, but he disposed of them and then hid the bodies. It wouldn't be long till another squad found the group he already killed. Then the alarm would sound and the entire base would go into lockdown.

Then there would be no escape.

Ken knew that even with both lightsabers he couldn't beat an entire base full of clones.

He made his way to the cell blocks and took out the two guards in the hall with ease. Ken tossed their bodies into the cell across from Acia's. He slipped off the card key for the ID scanner and swiped it quickly. The heavy door opened up and he rushed inside once he saw an unconscious Acia on the metal bunk in the back of the small cell.

Suddenly, pain flared all along his skin as small bolts of lightning trailed across it. He turned his head and saw two small probe droids in the corner of the room shooting at him with tranquilizer shock bolts. He quickly ignited both blades and sliced them to pieces, hoping he hadn't alerted any security sensors.

He shut off the blades and clipped them to his belt and ran at Acia, "Acia!"

She didn't respond.

He shook her, "Acia! Wake up!"

Still no response. He turned her over and checked her pulse. It was weak but it was there. He looked for any puncture wounds and found two on her neck and on her arm.

"Damn." He cursed, "Injections."

He slowly lifted the woman into his arms and made his way out of the cell blocks and back down where he came from. Within minutes, he was back at the hole, but an entire brigade was coming down the hall. He looked up. _That's high._

Blue bolts suddenly passed by his head and he made his decision. He leaped high into the air and right through the hole he made. He landed on the mushy fungi ground and laid Acia down on it before igniting his sabers again. He looked down and saw one of the clone's utility belts. It was the sergeants' belt. All along it were at least ten detpacks.

He pulled the detpacks to him with the Force and then activated them all at once and threw them back down the hole. He grabbed Acia and sprinted away, "Goodbye Imperials!" He half shouted half laughed.

The ground shook violently as the base he was just in exploded from the ground up. The land around them started to implode and Ken then knew how massive the base actually was. He jumped over some falling ground and used the Force to increase his speed. He could feel Acia start to regain consciousness and she clung to him, saying something in a shout, but he tuned her out for the time being.

He made it to the ship and ran up the ramp and quickly put Acia down and then manned the controls. He lifted off the ground and flew away, far away from the base and then landed in a clearing. He turned to Acia, "Are you ok?"

"Where are the Imps?" Her voice was slurred.

Ken sighed and closed her eyes and put her under with the Force. He picked her up and then laid her in the Captains bunk. He quickly wrote up a little not and laid it on the desk then he grabbed his pack and opened the hatch to the landing ramp. He slowly slid down the ramp and then closed it.

He looked out into the Felucian forests and took a deep breath and reached out with the Force. He stood there for minutes and suddenly he felt something touch back. He didn't know what it was but he knew something touched back.

His hand came up to his chest and he felt something tug again and he smiled, tears falling from his eyes, "I'm coming Aayla."

He took one last look at the ship and bid it farewell, then ran into the forest, not looking back. His master was alive and she was out there. He didn't know how long it would take to get to her but he knew that she was there. Obi Wan was wrong. Anakin was wrong. She was alive. The Jedi weren't dead.

But, Obi Wan was right when he said that Anakin's son was one of the last hopes for the galaxy. He understood that now. If the Jedi can't rise though the Old Order, then it can rise again through a New Order. Yet, semblances of the Old Order would stand. Ken knew, in his heart, that the fight against the Sith was far from over and the galaxy wasn't completely entrenched in darkness yet.

Palpatine hadn't won yet.

Ken came to a cliff and leaned against the trunk of a large, fungi plant, its spores flying all around, reflecting all around. He looked down and whispered into the air a few words. Words that he would hold onto till the very end of his journey.

"I'm coming for you."

* * *

 **The Empire is much more powerful than Ken had thought, but he still knows he must find his master, but what path will that lead him down. Find out next: Chapter 4: Bond**

 **"Until we meet again guys!" - Blaze Marko**


	4. Chapter 4: Bond

**Chapter** **4: Bond**

 ** _"_** ** _i will not let go!" hopeless_** ** _–_** ** _Breaking Benjamin_**

Hours had been spent wandering through the fungi forests that spanned all across Felucia's surface. Every turn looked so similar to the young Jedi. He turned to his left and right, breathing heavily. He still felt that small click in the Force, but he knew that he wasn't any closer than when he started.

Or he was imagining the spark the entire time.

He shook his head and slumped the moist ground, throwing his pack to the side in a fit of anger. It slammed against a tree and fell to the ground. He put his arms over the tops of his knees and buried his face in the fabric of his coat. Mumbling was the only thing to leave his mouth for the next twenty minutes.

When he finally realized that he needed to keep going, he stood up. He shook the spores from his clothes and picked up his pack. He took off jogging again, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the spark. But, it seemed that the harder he tried to find it, the farther it went.

"Come on, Aayla. I'm trying to find you." He said into the nothingness and ran faster. He unclipped his saber from his waist and unclipped the one from Jax as well and ignited the two blades. He slashed throughout the jungle, clearing a path wherever he went. This would serve for easier travel and also for a map.

Several more hours drawled out and soon the sun began to set.

Ken was tired, dirty, and his hope was dwindling by the second. He fell to his knees and shouted, "Aayla! Where are you!?"

His cry echoed throughout the forest, touching the deepest parts of the planet's vegetation. Nothing could compare to the sadness and disappointment that he felt. He couldn't believe it. All this time he had spent searching and he had nothing to show for it. There wasn't anything at all on the planet.

Then, he felt something, a tap at the back of his mind.

He stood up, new energy filling his body and he dove forward, his sabers slashing again. He was close. He could feel it again.

He continued to go one, chopping away until he came to an open field. He looked among and saw scattered droid parts. It was a battlefield. Dead bodies were among the wreckage, but he could see far more droids than he could clones or walkers.

He took a few steps forwards and looked around, "This was what she was facing."

Suddenly, a fierce sense of pain erupted all over his body, mostly his lower back and upper back. He felt like a thousand beads of fire were tearing him inside out. He collapsed to the ground, his breath gone and his sabers rolling away. He cried out, pain lashing through him like a lightwhip.

Then, it stopped.

He took a big, gasping breath as it stopped. He looked around and saw nothing. He slowly got to his feet, careful with each movement he took.

"Aayla…" He realized the source of the pain he felt.

His head suddenly snapped to the right and he saw something shimmering in the distance. Not bothering to retrieve his weapons, he broke into a full sprint towards the object.

Once he was on top of it, he saw what it was.

It was a lightsaber.

He slowly picked it up and flipped the weapon on, his breath catching when he realized whose it was. It could only be one person's. It was Aayla's. The hilt style, the blade color, the handle grip. They were all hers. He could even feel the Force around the hilt as if she was still there…

It hit him like a bolt of plasma.

"This drew me here…" He whispered, feeling the hilt in his hands then waved the blade around. Something felt off about the way he could swung it. It hadn't been used in a while.

Bits and pieces started to hit his brain.

 _Aayla stood just in front of the droid army, on one side of the open, fungi land. Her clones were beside her with several walkers behind them…_

Ken grabbed his head as the blade shut off.

 _She was ready to fight…_

Ken leaned against the wall of a large fungi plant.

 _This would be her last battle before some well-deserved rest with her Padawan…_

Ken felt something twist in his heart.

 _But, something felt wrong. She unclipped her lightsaber, having it at the ready. Then, in a turn, she knew what was troubling her. The clones had betrayed her. They opened fired on her, before she could activate her weapon._

Ken felt tears fall from his eyes as he stared down at the weapon in his hands, then at the ground. He touched it and he immediately felt the signature of his master.

 _Bolt after bolt perforated her body. Agonizing pain ripped through her body as she fell to the ground. Six shots hit her before she fell and several hit her after that. She had never felt that type of intense pain before. Consciousness left her almost immediately as her lightsaber rolled away…_

"Aayla…" He whispered.

 _Her last thoughts before darkness covered her senses were of her Padawan…_

"Aayla…no…" He choked.

 _…_ _and how she should have stayed…_

All of the rage and sadness built up in his body suddenly expanded. A blue aura of Force energy exploded all around, throwing fungi trees and plants to the ground and all the corpses and parts were sent flying away like pieces of paper in the wind. They continued to fly until the storm died down.

He held the weapon close to his heart and let out a sob, "No…" He shook his head, "Obi Wan…he was…" he shook his head once again, "No! He was wrong! She's alive! Somewhere! She has to be! She promised." He whispered the last part.

A glint suddenly caught his eye and he looked down, seeing a scrap of her clothing with metal etched in it. He noticed it as one of the pins he gave her when he was younger. He reached down and picked up the scrap, immediately feeling the message it held.

 _"_ _Ken…"_

She was speaking to him through the Force, but the pin was the catalyst!

"Aayla…" He whispered through the Force and transported it to the pin.

There was a silence.

 _"_ _You're…ok…"_

"I'm fine Aayla. Where are you?" He asked desperately, almost forgetting to send the message through the pin again.

 _"_ _Gone…"_

Ken sighed with a ragged breath and sent another message, "Where? I need to find you."

 _"_ _You won't…Seps…finally got me…after the fight…spies…took my body…don't know where I am…too dark to see…"_

Ken felt his heart shatter. His master was giving up, "No! Try. Reach out to me. I need to find you."

There was a silence.

 _"_ _Jedi weren't supposed to form attachments…but their gone now…Ken…it's the end for me…"_

"No! I won't let you die! I'll find you I promise." Ken said firmly, "I promise Aayla."

 _"_ _Ken…just promise me…if you can't…then you stay safe…"_ Her words echoed in his ears.

"I _will_ find you." He said again. "Aayla…I promise…you're my master and my family."

There was a silence, but then a rush of emotions flooded his body. Sadness and happiness ruled supreme.

 _"_ _You are just the same to me…Ken…you're my Padawan, but my family…I'm sorry I didn't listen…"_

"Save your strength Aayla…I'm coming for you. Just give me something to follow." Ken said softly.

 _"_ _Here…"_ The pin suddenly glowed a bright blue. _"Hopefully…your attachment to me…and my attachment to you…will guide you…I…know you can…can…find…me…"_

The connection died out.

Ken held the pin to his chest as it continued to glow blue. Suddenly the ground around him was blasted with air and he looked up. It was Acia's ship. It was hovering just above him. He clenched the pin in one hand and his master's lightsaber in the other. I turned to his weapons far away and pulled them onto his belt with the Force. He leaped up once the landing ramp extended and then walked in, the pin starting to dim. He put it into his pocket and clenched her lightsaber a little tighter.

Acia walked over to the loading deck, "What the hell happened?! And why, also the hell, did I find you almost twenty miles out from where the ship was landed?!"

Ken sighed and pulled out his pack, not realizing his weapons were visible or the saber in his hand. He only noticed when he caught her eye. "Acia."

"You're a Jedi." She squinted her eyes. "You tricked me into giving you this ride."

Ken shook his head, "No. I didn't." He reached into his pack and pulled out the other five thousand credits, "Here. Just as promised."

Acia stared at the credits and sighed, "Keep them." She kicked the floor of her ship then looked up, a semblance of a smile on her face, "Thank you for the save."

"You're welcome." He said quietly and closed his pack once he put the credits back in.

"Now, answer my question, Jedi." She said, her disposition back to normal.

Ken took a sad sigh, "My master, Aayla, was supposed to be here. This was her last mission before…Palpatine betrayed the Republic."

"I was under the impression that it was the _Jedi_ who betrayed the Republic." Acia said, slowly.

Ken's eyes were furious, but his tone was low, "The Jedi did nothing. It was Palpatine from the beginning. He's a Sith Lord. He's the definition of pure evil. He killed us all off with the clones. Somehow, someway, he had chips implanted in their brains and they were given one order and it killed us."

"So, all the Jedi are dead?" Acia's tone softened, almost sad, "Including your master?"

"No." He was quick to reply. He pulled out the faintly glowing pin, "This will lead me to her."

"What is it?" Acia asked, looking at the pin with interest unrivaled.

Ken smiled, "I gave it to her when we finished a mission to Concordia. She took it and wore it as we fought side by side against the Separatists." His tone turned dark, "And it seems that Separatist spies have her."

"Even though the Separatists have been defeated?" Acai asked, "They have nothing to gain."

"Revenge." Ken whispered, then frowned, "They are going to torture her, steal her sanity, destroy her soul, then they'll kill her." Ken's voice was low and angry.

"And what are you going to do?" The pilot of the ship asked softly.

Ken looked at her with a burning certainty in his eyes and he ignited the blue lightsaber in his hand, "I'm going to find her. And I'm going to save her."

"You care about her a lot." Acia said.

Ken nodded, shutting off the weapon, "She's like my sister. She's my family. The Jedi Order was my family. Now they are gone. And until I get Aayla back, I'm alone." Sadness gripped his heart.

Acia sighed softly and tapped his face with her gloved hand, "Listen, Hotshot, how about you join me?"

"Join you?" Ken echoed, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you'll get to use my ship and we can find your master." Acia smiled this time, her face completely bright.

Ken's face flushed, "Why are you willing to help me? You could get in serious trouble for harboring a fugitive."

Acia shrugged, "I guess you're growing on me, Hotshot."

Ken smiled and took her gloved hand in his and smiled warmly, "Thank you, Acia."

Acia smiled back, then turned and walked to her pilot seat, "Come on, Hotshot. Where are we going?"

Ken held the pin in his hand and concentrated hard, his senses completely stretched out. He took a deep breath and suddenly the pin glowed green and he opened his eyes.

He knew where to go.

But, he didn't know where exactly it was.

"Coordinates." He said softly and ran to the navigation computer and typed in bunch of numbers and letters. "There."

Acia leaned over, curiosity getting the best of her, "That will take us to the Outer Rim."

"It will?" He said, surprised, "I wonder why it's leading me there. Maybe it's were Aayla is!"

Acia nodded, "Well, it's our show now. Sit down."

Ken smiled and did as he was told. Soon, they were blasting through the atmosphere and into space. Within seconds, they entered hyperspace.

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"Hey, Hotshot." Acia asked, her eyes shifting to the Jedi.

Ken turned his head, "Yes?"

"How old are you?" Acia smirked, "I'm very curious." That smirk held a tint of wickedness.

Ken smiled, "Eighteen. Nineteen very soon. Yourself?"

Acia smirked, "Nineteen. But, just barely. Turned nineteen a few days ago."

Ken felt a lump in his throat at her tone and he turned back to the stretching stars in front of him, his back scrunching without his notice, "Very nice."

Acia's smirk turned into a soft smile, "You're tense."

Ken turned back to her, confusion in his voice, "Pardon?"

"You're tense." She repeated and stood up. She motioned for him to follow. "Come on, Hotshot."

Ken stood up and followed. She led them into the captain's quarters and she motioned for him to sit on the small sofa in the corner. He did as she asked and put his pack down, along with the lightsaber he had been clenching in his hands.

"I don't feel tense." He lied through his teeth.

Acia gave him a look and came up behind him, gripping his shoulders gently and slowly moved her hands in pulling motions. Soon, the tension he felt started to ebb away and he breathed out a sigh of relief. All the frustration and sadness he felt started to fade away as well as he fell into the motions.

A grunt of satisfaction was the only thing he gave.

Acia smiled and leaned down to his ear, "Better, Hotshot?"

Ken felt the lump in his throat return and he uttered a mumbled, "Yes. Thanks."

Acia smiled wickedly and whispered, "My pleasure, Hotshot."

Ken sighed and grabbed his pack and Aayla's saber. He stood up and turned to face Acia, "How far until we reach the coordinate's location?"

"At least thirty minutes." Acia said, coming around the sofa to stand in front of him.

Suddenly, his chest started to warm and he reached into his coat and pulled out the pin. It changed from a green glow to a dark green, almost forest color. He held it tightly in his hands, but this wasn't Aayla calling out to him. No, this was very different to him. He felt a pull, but it was to someone else.

He looked ahead and saw Acia looking intently at the pin. Suddenly, it changed color again. This time, it changed to a soft pink color and it edged to Acia.

Shock flashed across both of their faces as the pin stayed a soft pink color, then back to its green color in a flash.

"What was that?" Acia asked.

"I don't know." Ken whispered, staring at the pin, "I think the Force was trying to tell me something."

"And that is?" Acia squinted her eyes at the young man.

Ken shook his head, "No clue." He looked up, "But it had something to do with you."

"I gathered that, Hotshot." She said, her voice very dull.

Ken looked at the pin for a moment then tucked it away as he felt something shift in the Force. "What is _that?_ " He muttered out loud.

Acia frowned and sighed, " _Now_ what?"

Ken frowned right back and ran up to the cockpit. Using the Force, he reached out and felt a shift. His chest started to hum and the pin suddenly flew out in front of him. It turned from a green glow to an orange one. Ken touched the pin with his forefinger, but then retracted once the Force settled.

"We are coming out of hyperspace." He said suddenly.

Acia ran up behind him just as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. She looked forward, "A space station?"

"A refueling station." Ken corrected.

"A refueling station from the war?" Acia asked. She waved her hand across the control panel and brought up a map, "Kessedar."

Ken looked at the map and dragged his hand over the external display, bringing up a wide view transit plane, "It's in direct contact with Felucia, not a surprise. It's a Republic base."

Acia held up her hand, "Wait, here it says that it's not just a refueling station. It's also a relief station."

Ken read over the information, "Yes. The pin led us here."

"To your master?" Acia raised an eyebrow.

Taking a step and grabbing the pin from mid-air, he shook his head, "No. Someone else is in there. The pin glowed. But, it was orange."

"It changed colors, so what?" Acia said, crossed her arms.

Ken turned to her and gave her a look, "It glows differently for each person's presence in the Force. Mine is dark green, Aayla's is blue. I don't know who this orange one is."

A light started flashing on the dashboard and Acia sat down in the pilot's seat, "We are about to find out."

Ken nodded and sat down as she answered the call.

"This is Captain Beilane of the _Hawkeye._ " She said, her voice very professional and hard, "To whom am I speaking?"

 _"_ _This is Lieutenant Ray Talic. State your business."_ A deep, gravelly voice said on the other line.

"Here for refueling and possibly some R and R." She said, leaning back in her chair.

 _"_ _Authorization code."_

Acia sat back straight up, "Delta six oh eight twelve."

There was a silence, then the lieutenant spoke, _"If I may incline, and I may, what is a freighter like you doing out here in barely charted space?"_

"Our jobs take us places we wouldn't think we would go." Acia answered coolly.

 _"_ _Yes, that is true, but there is always a plausible explanation to the job."_

Acia grit her teeth, "I don't answer to you, Lieutenant. I've given you my access codes, now allow me to dock."

 _"_ _Very well, Captain Beilane. You may dock at Bay 17."_ The line cut out abruptly after.

Ken smirked, "He was nice."

"Shut it, Hotshot." She looked at him menacingly. "It's the people like him that I wish would just go vape themselves."

"Harsh much?" Ken asks.

"Coming from the Jedi." She muttered a little too loudly, then sighed, "I didn't mean that, Hotshot."

Ken's anger had already been building, but he just frowned, "I'm sure you didn't."

"Hotshot." She started.

Ken held up his hand, "No, I get it." He stood up, "I'm going to get into something a little more inconspicuous."

"Hotshot." She called back and followed him into his cabin.

Ken turned around, "Thank you, Captain Beilane. I have it from here." He gently picked her up with the Force and placed her outside the cabin then shut the door.

Quickly, he changed into his street garb. He wrapped his hands in white wrappings and then attached his belt. He grabbed his lightsaber from his bag and left Aayla's and Jax's in there. He held the lightsaber in his hands gently. He looked at it sadly before he twisted the middle section and the weapon split in two.

"Sorry." He said quietly. He took the top part and hooked it to his side and he put the other one on his shin. This way he could have his weapon and it be secretive.

He opened the door to find Acia still there. He frowned, "I would imagine we have docked?"

Acia nodded, "Yes, Hotshot, we have."

"Then let's go." He said shortly, already taking a step in the direction of the ramp. He almost made it before a hand was pressed against his chest and he found himself standing still.

He looked at Acia and he frowned, "Let go, Captain."

"The Republic and the Separatists put me out of a home." She said firmly, "You brought your war and when the Separatists took control, I thought the Republic would cause _minimal_ damage. No, you caused _absolute_ damage. My town was destroyed and burnt down. The planet was destroyed. I stole this freighter a year ago and took off, trying to make sure that I wouldn't be caught in another crossfire between either factions. The Jedi work for the Republic and they saw our plight, but they did nothing."

Ken frowned sadly, "I'm sorry, Acia."

Acia took a breath, "That's why I'm hostile towards you. I don't trust Jedi."

"I hope you will." Ken said softly.

Acia shrugged, "I've let you on my ship. I think trust is building. Plus, you saved me from the Imps."

 _Which was my fault._ Ken thought dejectedly. "True."

She hit the red button on the side panel and the ramp slid down, "Let's go find this person."

"Thank you, Acia." He gave a small smile, then made his way down the ramp.


End file.
